Kennesaw Spirit

50 Pioneers

For the last fifty years faculty, staff, students, trustees and members of the community have been blazing new trails, assuming new roles and responsibilities, or pushing the envelope. These pioneers have set the stage for continued innovation at Kennesaw State.

Morris Barrett

Barrett was the College’s property control officer and warehouse supervisor, and was the first person to be given the Kennesaw College Outstanding Staff Employee award in 1983.

Dr. George Beggs

Hired in 1966, political scientist George Beggs was the first faculty member at Kennesaw. He later became chair of the Division of Social Sciences and dean of the School of Arts and Behavioral Sciences.

Fred Bentley, Sr.

The Bentley Rare Book Gallery is named in honor of Fred Bentley Sr., member of the Kennesaw College Foundation and generous donor of rare books and art to the University. Mr. Bentley is also a former state legislator and Cobb Chamber of Commerce president.

James V. Carmichael

James V. Carmichael was a prominent statesman and businessman who overcame serious physical challenges suffered as result of a near fatal accident. During his service on the Board of Regents he was instrumental in persuading the board to build a new student center at Kennesaw Junior College, named for him after his death in 1972.

Dr. Herbert Davis

A longtime chair of the Natural Sciences and Mathematics Division, Davis was promoted to the new position of dean of the School of Science and Allied Health as part of the conversion from divisions to schools in 1984. He was also one of the first people on campus to invest heavily in technology.

Dr. Robert Driscoll

The former chair of Kennesaw Junior College's Educational Division, Driscoll became the first dean of the School of Education during the conversion from divisions to schools.

Terri Ferguson (Arnold)

When hired in 1971, Arnold was the first African American secretary at Kennesaw. She worked in the Offices of Student Affairs and Business & Finance for more than forty years.

Robert Dobbs Fowler

As the editor of the Marietta Daily Journal, Fowler headed the steering committee that pushed for the current location of the college. Due to a generous endowment from the Fowler family, KSU’s Robert D. Fowler Distinguished Chair in Communication perpetuates his memory.

Robert “Bob” Garrison

As the newly retired president of the Arrow Shirt Company, Garrison agreed to become the first chairman of the group that created the KJC Foundation and played a central role in the campaign to convert Kennesaw into a four-year college.

Dr. Robert “Bob” Greene

Greene was appointed as KJC’s first librarian in 1966, and retired after twenty years in 1986. During his time at Kennesaw, he embraced new technologies, including an early online catalog.

Dr. John Greider

Greider was one of three original division chairs at Kennesaw Junior College. Like his colleagues, he defended his dissertation after being hired in 1966 as the chairman of the Division of Humanities and Associate Professor of English. He has been described by a former student as a marvelous teacher who brought literature alive.

Roberta Griffin

As an artist and faculty member in the Visual Arts Department, Griffin was the founder of the KSU galleries and curated more than 80 major exhibitions on campus. Her work was a first step toward building the Zuckerman Museum of Art.

Mike Goldberg

Goldberg was Kennesaw’s first unofficial campus resident. In the late 1970s and early 1980, he lived in a makeshift shelter in the woods near campus. He showered in the gym each morning, attended classes, and worked in the Student Center to earn enough money for meals.

Dr. Dave Harris

As the first chair of the Physical Education department, Harris invited students to try out for club sports. He was known as “one of the better coaches in the whole state of Georgia”.

Dr. Virginia Hinton

With a Ph.D. in English, Virginia Hinton was one of three non-administrators with doctorates in 1966. She was one of only five full professors in 1980 and was a respected member of the faculty. In 1981, Hinton co-chaired President Siegel's inauguration committee.

Jon Hough

In 1986 Hough won the NAIA Championship in golf, earning Kennesaw its first national title in any sport.

Dr. Elaine Hubbard

Hubbard was the first Kennesaw Junior College graduate to earn advanced degrees from Georgia Tech and come back to Kennesaw as a professor. She produced a number of math textbooks and won the Distinguished Teaching Award in 2001.

G. Conley Ingram

Judge Conley Ingram is a former Georgia Supreme Court Justice. His career includes many years of civic and professional service, including developing the Kennesaw Junior College Foundation.

David Jones, Jr.

A charter member of the faculty, Jones headed the Department of Liberal Studies which included foreign languages, philosophy, and other disciplines. He was also the faculty advisor of the yearbook, Montage.

Dr. Nancy King

Longtime faculty member, Nancy King, served in a number of capacities at KSU, but is best known as Vice President for Student Success. She retired in 2008.

June Krise

As a student, Krise helped lead the petition to change Kennesaw to a four-year school. During her studies, she was the president of the Student Government Association and later became the Alumni Association president.

James “Spec” Landrum

Landrum was recruited as Kennesaw College’s Coordinator of Development and Alumni Relations and would later become the first athletic director.

Dr. Harry Lasher

Lasher became the first permanent dean of the School of Business in 1984; during his tenure the number of business faculty members with doctorates quadrupled. His advocacy for the business school helped foster its success.

Robert Lipson

As the president and CEO of WellStar Health Services, Lipson facilitated a $3 million gift to the college resulting in the naming of the WellStar College of Health and Human Services and the WellStar School of Nursing. He was also a KSU alumnus, having helped initiate an M.B.A program for Physician Executives.

Karen Maples

A professor of biology, Maples was one of two women hired as the first African American teaching faculty starting in September 1972.

Dr. Carol Martin

Martin served as the director of guidance when Kennesaw Junior College opened on Southern Tech’s campus in the fall of 1966 and later became the dean of Student Affairs.

Joseph Meeks

Meeks helped build the music major at Kennesaw with R. Wayne Gibson. His career has included numerous notable achievements, including becoming dean of the College of the Arts and engaging in fundraising efforts through the KSU Benefit Gala for the Arts, which has brought in more than a $1 million for arts scholarships.

Madeline Miles

Miles served as the secretary for two division chairs (Humanities and Social Sciences) while Kennesaw Junior College was located on the Southern Tech (currently Southern Poly) campus and remained a secretary and administrative assistant for many years in the Division of Humanities and then the School of Arts and Behavioral Sciences.

Ed Mulkey

A prominent Marietta banker, Mulkey was assigned by President Sturgis to be the first alumni association president (1977-1979).

Bob Myatt

Elected in October of 1967, Bob Myatt was the first Student Government Association president at Kennesaw Junior College.

Bobby Olive

In 1971, Bobby Olive was hired as a counselor in the HEAP program, thus becoming the first African American member of the KJC professional staff. He was also responsible for bringing many more African American staff members to the college.

Dr. Daniel S. Papp

In 2006, Dr. Papp became the third president of KSU. A Cobb County resident since 1973 and an international affairs scholar, he served as senior vice chancellor for academics and fiscal affairs of the University System of Georgia before coming to Kennesaw.

Dr. Judy Perkins

Having been the chair of the nursing program, Perkins became the Dean of the School of Nursing after the Board of Regents approved Kennesaw State College's fifth school in 1994.

Stewart Phillips

Phillips served as the first coordinator of HEAP, a federal program aimed at serving minorities in higher education. HEAP accepted applicants that did not meet KJC’s admission requirements, and prepared them for college course work.

Dr. Derrell Roberts

While the campus was still under construction, history professor Derrell Roberts reported to work as the first Dean of the College at the start of January 1966. He left KJC in 1970 to become the second president of Dalton Junior College.

Dr. Ed Rugg

In 1982 Ed Rugg joined the administration of Kennesaw College as Assistant to the President for Planning, Research and Computer Services under the administration of President Betty L. Siegel. He served as Vice President for Academic Affairs from 1986 until 2002, when he took over leadership of the Center for Institutional Effectiveness (now Enterprise Information Management). He retired in March 2010.

Ruth Rundles

Rundles was hired as one of two of the first African American teaching faculty in 1972. She taught economics.

Charlotte Sachs

In 1968 Sachs became the first head of the nursing department. Under her leadership the nursing program established a tradition of excellence that has propelled the program to its current status as the largest undergraduate B.S.N. program in Georgia.

Thomson Salter, III

Salter created the first official seal of KJC and was the one-man art faculty for a number of years. Due to his efforts, four art studios were included in the new Humanities Building in 1981.

Dr. Tom Scott

Noted Georgia historian, Scott taught at Kennesaw from 1968 until his retirement in June 2011. He is currently Professor Emeritus of History. Since 1978 he has been interviewing faculty, administrators, staff, alumni and community members to preserve the history of KSU. Among his numerous honors are the KSU Distinguished Teaching Award (1994), the Governor's Award in the Humanities (2004), and the KSU Foundation Distinguished Professor Award (2008).

Dr. Betty Siegel

In 1981, Betty Siegel became the second president of KSU and the first female president in the University System of Georgia. She also holds the record as the longest serving woman president of a public university in the nation.

Dr. Pete Silver

A political science professor, Pete Silver was appointed Coordinator of Minority Affairs under Dr. Siegel. He advocated for the creation of an African American advisory board consisting of prominent Cobb County civil rights leaders. He was later Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Dr. Horace Sturgis

On May 12th, 1965, Sturgis was selected by the Board of Regents to be the first president of the as yet unnamed Cobb County junior college. He served as president from 1965 to 1980 and led the efforts to convert Kennesaw to senior college status.

Mary Swain

An English professor and former Marietta High School principal, Swain served as a faculty advisor for the student newspaper The Sentinel, which started circulation in October of 1966.

Dr. William P. Thompson

A charter faculty member, Thompson served as the first chair of Business Administration and participated in hiring new faculty to teach new upper level courses.

R. Steve Tumlin

Marietta businessman Steve Tumlin was a founder of the Kennesaw Junior College Foundation and served as its first vice chairman.

Dr. Wesley Walraven

A biology professor, Walraven was the first chair of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in 1966. He left KJC in 1970 to accept the position as dean of the college at Floyd College (today’s Georgia Highlands College).

Dr. Mary Zoghby

Zoghby served as coordinator and chair of the Department of Developmental Studies. Under her leadership, the department had its own budget and a small core faculty, supplemented by others borrowed from English and Math.

Mark H. Smith, who held the position of storekeeper, was the first person to retire from Kennesaw Junior College in 1969. At his retirement, he was given a wooden sculpture named “The Wise Old Owl of KJC” as a present.